Everett, Astros Sweep Expos

Matt Galante figured Sunday was Chris Holt's day.

"He'd pitched well enough to win his last two times," Houston's interim manager said. "Today we got him some runs."

Holt won for the first time since August 1997, and Carl Everett hit a grand slam and solo homer as he drove in a career-high six runs to lead the Houston Astros over the Montreal Expos 11-3 for a three-game sweep.

"I'm a happy man right now," Holt said.

"It felt good to finally get that first win," Holt said. "I didn't have my best fastball today, and my curveball has been better, but the defense played well behind me and Carl had a great game."

Everett hit a solo homer off in the third off Dan Smith (1-1), an RBI grounder in the seventh and a slam in the eighth off Ugueth Urbina. It was the fourth career slam for Everett, who had his first multihomer game this season and the sixth in his career.

Urbina also gave up Everett's previous slam, on Sept. 13, 1997, when Everett played for the New York Mets.

"He is basically a fastball-changeup pitcher," Everett said. "In that situation, obviously I was thinking fastball."

Everett's first homer went to straightaway center. His second landed deep in the seats behind right-center field.

"I'm not a pull hitter unless you force me to," Everett said. "My power is to center and to the gaps."

Smith gave up three runs and five hits in five innings as Montreal lost its fifth straight. Jose Vidro was 3-for-4 for the Expos, playing their final game in the Astrodome.

"We had a good game going for a while," Montreal manager Felipe Alou said. "But it got real ugly there in the seventh inning. Smith pitched well, he's going to be OK. Urbina was a little wild."

Vladimir Guerrero's RBI grounder put Montreal aheain the first, but Bill Spiers' run-scoring single tied it in the bottom half.

Craig Biggio had a go-ahead single in the second, and Tim Bogar connected off Steve Kline in the sixth for a 4-1 lead.

Orlando Cabrera doubled in a run in the seventh, but Houston got three runs in the bottom half as Cabrera made an error at shortstop and Wilton Guerrero made one at second on Everett's grounder. Alex Diaz got a two-run infield hit to second base.

Notes: